Red Crayfish Pharmacy, defensive barbican in Old Town of Bratislava, Slovakia
The Red Crayfish Pharmacy is a museum occupying four rooms on the ground floor of a baroque building in Old Town, integrated into the fortifications near Michael's Gate. The exhibition displays the spaces where medicines were once compounded and sold.
The pharmacy was founded in 1773 and operated continuously as a working business until 1953. At that point it was converted into a specialized museum dedicated to preserving the history of pharmacy.
The interior displays original furnishings and pharmaceutical tools from the 19th century that show how apothecaries organized and practiced their craft. The ceiling paintings depict different periods of medical history, giving visitors a sense of how pharmacy work evolved over time.
The museum is open from Wednesday through Monday, and a single ticket allows entry to both the pharmacy museum and Michael's Tower next door. Morning visits are recommended to avoid crowds and to have plenty of time for exploration.
The metal signage on the facade was crafted by the Márton blacksmith workshop and features the red crayfish symbol that gave the place its name. This hand-forged metalwork is a detail many visitors overlook while passing the historic facade.
Location: Bratislava
Inception: 1960
Architectural style: Baroque
Operator: BA - Staré Mesto
Address: Michalská
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00-17:00; Saturday-Sunday 11:00-18:00
Phone: +4212/59100812
Website: http://muzeum.bratislava.sk/vismo/dokumenty2.asp?id_org=700015&id=1039&p1=52
GPS coordinates: 48.14537,17.10675
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:47
Bratislava reveals itself through its architecture that combines Gothic, Baroque, and Art Nouveau influences. The Slovak capital is centered around its medieval old town with cobblestone streets, dominated by Bratislava Castle and its recognizable outline with four corner towers. Visitors can explore St. Martin's Cathedral, the site of Hungarian royal coronations for several centuries, or the Blue Church, a 1913 Art Nouveau building fully decorated with blue and white mosaics. The city also features unexpected sites such as the Čumil statue, a bronze figure of a worker emerging from a manhole cover, and the UFO observation deck perched 95 meters above the top of the SNP Bridge. The surrounding area is worth visiting for Devín Castle, a medieval fortress built on a rocky promontory at the confluence of the Danube and Morava rivers, and the Slavín memorial that overlooks the city from a hill. This collection gathers Bratislava's main monuments and museums to facilitate your exploration of the Slovak capital.
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